Block-forming machine.



R. E. MEEOE.

BLOCK FORMING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FBB.24, 1911.

Patented Dec. 1, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

- LVV/L'V TOR.

A TTOA'Nlil.

THE NORRIS PETERS CO. PHOT0-LITHD.. WASHINGTON. D. L.

Z5 {Fifi-7 5 1.22 31g 1a R. E. MEEGE. BLOCK FORMING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED IEB.24, 1911.

1,1 19,095. Patented Dec. 1,1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

'HE NORkls PETERS CO., PHOTU-LITHCL. WASHINGTUN. D. C

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RELNA EMEEOE, or nAnINDA,'ILLI1voIs.'

BLOCK-FORMING. MACHINE.

ment and its complements, as sand, gravel,

and water. It will'be evident however (as the nature of the invention is more fully dis closed,) that its use .is not restricted tothis single employment. Devices ofthis character. are severally known as machines which are moved from the blocks, and machines from which the blocks are removed.

My invention relates more particularly todevices of the first recited type.

The invention has particular relation to t continuous air-space block-forming Inachines; however, it may be used for forming also solid blocks, aplertured blocks, and recessed blocks, as well. asfor corner-blocks, cap and window blocks, ornamental pieces, etc.-

A main object is to so construct the device that, its'elements may be moved directly awayfrom the block, in order that the latter will not be jolted, jarred, broken, marred,

or thrown from its proper and desired shape and configuration; i x N In this connection it is an object to dispense with hingedv casing-parts or members.

It is an object to so construct and by unessential changes to so modify the device I that it may be readily changed from a large to a small block machine, or to a corner block machine, or tofan ornamental block machine.

One of the main objects is to. provide an "adjustable core, whereby continuous-airfor'and manner of placing the reinforcing fwires or bonds.

space blocks of selective lengths may be formed in a single casing, and without the employment of a plurality of cores.

Itjis an object to provide a novel means i It is a further object to provide a machine which is very light in, weight, and which may therefore be lifted and locally transported withouttiring the operator. I

Another object is to provide adjustable casing-handles for a purpose presently re- Specification of LettersPatent;

Application filed February 24, 1911. Serial No. 610,579.

'Still another object is to provide a core which isin sections, or separable.

A special object is to provide against separation offthe box while the block is in process of formation. l v

In this connection it may be stated that itis an object to utilize the core with which to accomplish the last recited object.

It is an object to provide a casing having a fixed core-element.

It is an object to so arrange the parts that the mixture will be excluded from the joints.

It is an object to so arrange the parts that great speed may be attained and that ,the manipulations may be performed without effort.

That the mechanism constituting the means for carrying. out the above recited objects be durable, strong and not prone to disability or disorder is a prime requisite.

Minorobjects. will be'in part obvious and in part pointed out. I

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, andin the selective arrangements and disposition of the parts for co-action. the scope of which will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a top-plan, showing a preferred exemplification of my improvements, the parts in illustrating the mannerof forming a corner block; Fig. 4:, an end elevation of the central section of the core; Fig. 5, a vertical, longitudinal, central sectional view of one of the end sections of the core; Fig. 6, a face elevation thereof; Fig. 7, an end elevation, the handles released;Fig. 8, a modification, an endelevation, illustrating the cap and sill machine type of machine; Fig. 9, a plan of the same, the core shown in extended position to form a sill; Fig. 10, a plan, showing the core in closed or contracted positiom to form a cap; Fig. 11, an end detail, seen from the inside. of. the sill and cap type of a sliding head; Fig. 12, an end detail of a face plate or molding which is employed in connection with the head shown in Fig. 11;

. away, of the type shown in plan view in Fig. 1.

That side of the machine at which the operator stands shall be herein termed the.

front.

Referring to the drawings by numerals,

. the same one indicating the same part in the different figures of the drawing, 2 .repre-- sents an L-shaped casting, thelonger portion 3 ofwhich comprises a side and the shorter portion 4 the head of a casing, 5 denotes the other casing member, its side and end portions being designated by 6 and 7 respectively. The side 3 of the smaller type of machine is provided at its inner and upper edge with a notch 8, for apurpose presently described. This notch may or may not be omitted in the sill and cap type. The side 3 is provided with cleats 9, in recesses in which is pivotally mounted a rod 10 on which the operating levers 17 are fixed by means of set screws 11.. The side 6 is provided with like cleats 12, in recesses in which is fixed by means of set screws 13, a rod 14. The sides 3 and 6 are thickened near .and at their midlengths, and are longitudinally grooved at 15 to provide channels for the rods 10 and 14. Set screws 16 limit the movement of the rod 10 and thus the movement of the levers 17. (Now see Figs. 7, 8, and'13.) Said levers are preferably bowed upwardly and at their inner ends are constricted. Handles 20 are slidably mounted on the reduced portion of the levers and are locked in the desired position by screws 21. Each handle has a locking-projection 22 which engages therod 14. A wedge-clip 23 is fixed by a set-screw 24 on each end portion of said rod 14, to restrain the levers from outward movement which might be occasioned by'tamping the material within the casing and thus causing outward pressure on the ends thereof. 1

The L-shaped casing-members 2 and 5 form, whenassembled, a rectangular casing.

The side portion 6 of the small or block type is somewhat narrower than the integral end portion 7 and its upper and lower edges are beveled. as shown best at 25, Figs. 7 and 13. A face-plate 26, provided on its rear surface withstrips 27 (which may or may not be integral therewith,)the opposed faces of which strips are undercut, is slidably mountedon said portion 6, the grooves permitting it to be slid along on and to be removed from said side portion. rality of these plates is furnished with each machine, each of a different length. The end portion 7 is'apertured for the reception of a bolt 29 by means of which, and a nut 30, a core-butt 31 is fixed to said end. The end portion 4 is equipped in a similar way and by similar means with a like core-butt. Being'dup'lica'tes, it will be necessary to describe. but one of these, Eachcore-butt is a casting COI'IIPIISIIIg convergent side walls 32, a front or face33, a lower projection 34?, and a top 34 provided with a projection 38. A bead 35 extends throughout the length of the upper edge of each side wall.

The front is apertured tor the reception of the bolt 29 and is provided witha recess 36 for its head. Transversely'of the front are deep grooves 39 which at their median portions are 'cuppedto permitf'ofready placement of a bond or reinforce wire which may be suitably -bent.- At its upper median portion and extending from: the upper wall to and through, the front,'each butt is provided with a dovetail recess 40. X

41 is a hollow intermediate core member,

tapered from top tobottom, its sides 43 pref-v erably sinuous, and if'desired maybe promembers, and they, being. fixed by the bolts 29 will restrain the casingparts from their tendency to longitudinal movement, caused by tampingi The projection 38 engages a notch47 in each end portion, 4 or 7, as the case may be. A suitable handle 48is secured on the upper portion of the central core-member.

49 is a sliding head, provided with a notch 50 for the reception, as will now be describedfof a'projectiori' 38. "The sliding head is used when it is desired to make a block shorter in length than the interior of the casing, (In-this event, ashortintermediate core-section is'also employed.) The end portion 4 is provided with apertured bosses 51 which loosely receivejr'ods' 52, and saidbosses are radially bored and threaded to receive set screws 53 by which the rods may be locked afteradjustment. The adj'ustable or sliding headis provided with for the engagement of threads-on theends f of the rods 52. The length of the block. havingbeen predetermined, a faceplate of I i the proper length is slid onto the-sidepor tion 6, an intermediate core section of proper length engaged with the core butts, and the right hand core butt-withthe sliding head. The set-screws '531are then tightened to engage the rods 52 and thereby restrain the-j head from longitudinal movementllltit x be desired tojm'ake'ablock the full length of the interior ofthecasing, the" adjustable head is dispensed with. I I 3 To make a corner block, as shown 'inI-Fig.

3, one of the corebuttsi's movedl'from the end and engaged with the recess 8" in'fthe side portion 2, the bolt 29 andnut 30 being section is used, and the core-butt is not en gaged with the sliding head. A solid block may be made by omitting the entire core. An open-end block may be constructed by dispensing with the intermediate core section, and a centrally apertured block by dispensing with the core'butts. It will be evident that the character and type of blocks which may be made with this device are manifold. a

In the modification shown best at Figs. 9 and 10 the casing is elongated and the inner face of the front side portion of the casing is plane andwithout the beveled and narrowed features of the device shown in the principal figures. I This type of casing is especially for sill,cap, and step blocks, posts and the like. The handles are not shown in thesefigures. An ornamental face plate or molding 56, (see Figs. 9 and 12) provided on its edge and near its ends withcleats 57 i which constitute hand pieces by which it may be grasped, is laid within and alongside the casing-side. A correspondingly-shaped false or adjustable head 59 (Fig. 11) is employed at one end of the casing to restrain the molding from inward movement before the mixture is placed therein.

In making a capblock (see Fig..10) the molding is omitted, as, of course,is also the head 59, for which head an ordinary one is substituted. In forming a cap or a sill (or the like) of relatively great length, an extensible intermediate core section (Figs. 9 and 10) is employed. Except that one of its ends is provided with an opening (only inferentially shown) the body of this core is like the core section 41.

60 is a shaftwhich telescopes within the intermediate core section and which has. a

I head'tll provided with a dovetail 62 for engagement with the dovetail recess in a core-butt and provided also with a recess adapted for engagement with the projection 34 of said butt. Should it be desired to make a very short block in the cap and sill style of machine, the proper core may be substituted for theone just described, or the core entirely dispensed with, the rods being lengthened by the employment of additional sections united after'the ordinary fashion of pipes or rods-by a nipple. r

i The operation: The operator will assemble the machine parts as shown at Fig. 1, and-will throw in asuflicient amount of material to fill the casing up tothe level of or slightly above the lower pair 63 of bonds (Fig. 13) which may then be inserted through the transverse grooves in the core-butts and bent as desired. Being then tamped and embedded into the mixture," the wires will become firmly fixed therein, whereupon a suificient quantity is added. to fill the casing up to or slightly above the upper pair of transverse grooves in the-core-butts. Tampingas above is then again resorted to, whereupon the upper pair 64 of bonds are placed and tamped into the aggregate. The casing is then filled to heaping, tamped, and smoothed off in the ordinary manner. Blocks then formed will not only be very strong, but

the transverse portions of the bonds are so disposed with reference to the ends of the block that they provide a more facile -andconvenient .means for grasping, for a both local transportation and. in laying them, than has heretofore "been provided. As soon as the block has been completed the operator will release the levers from their engagement with the rod 14 and throw them to the upright position shown by Fig. 2, in which position they will be maintained by the setv screws 16 contacting the'casing side. 3. He will, then remove the intermediatecore section by means of its handle. The casing section 2' is then drawn longitudinally, as indicated by the arrow a, whereby the core-butt secured to that section will be drawn in a straight line longitudinally of the block. As the face of the side portion 3 is plane, it will slide freely overthe rear face of the block, and without in the least disturbing it. Said section 2 is then moved rearwardly as indicated by the arrow (9, and inasmuch "as the first recited movement withdrew the core-butt entirely from the block, said butt will pass freely by the end of the block.

The operator will then move the section 5 longitudinally, as indicated by the arrow with the core and with the casing section 2 as above described. In the event of the telescopic or extensible core section having been used the material above the shank is to be removed (by a trowel) before withdrawing said section. Section 5 will (after section 2 has been removed) be removed as above described. The attraction of the here thereto, but it may be readily removed by slidingit lengthwise of the block, and this movement will cause a very smooth finish to be imparted to the face. A completed block is shown at Fig. 2. It has not been thought necessary or best molding to the block will cause it to adto encumber this specification and drawings with additional descriptions and illustra- 1. A block-forming machine comprisingabottomless casing composed. of a pair of a separable, rectangular castings meeting at v diagonal corners and adapted to be slid 7 Copies of this patent may be obtained for either longitudinally or laterally, a rod pivotally secured in rear of the casing, means for limiting its rearward pivotal movement, levers-secured on said rod, means for locking them thereon, a rod secured in front of the'casing, clips thereon, means for locking them thereon, said levers adapted for engagement with the latter rod and said clips, a head slidable within the casing, rods passing through the head of one of said casing members and removably engaged with said slidable head, and a core removably disposed within the casing.

2. A block-forming machine comprising a bottomless casing composed of a pair of separable L-shaped castings .meeting'.

diagonal corners ,andadapted to: he slid either laterally or longitudinally, a rod pivotally secured, in rear [ofthe casing,,

levers; secured on.;said rod, one at each end. of the casing, a rod secured 1n :front ofgthe casing, slidable clips thereon, sald .levers being adapted for engagement :with said a front rod and clips,'-a head slidable Within the casing, rods passing through "the head of one ofthe casing members and removably, engaged with saidslidable head, and a core removably arranged Within; the casing. in i I 3.1n combination, a bottomless casing composed ofa pair of separable L-shaped members meeting at "diagonal corners, a rod secured in rear of thecasing, a rod parallel therewith and arranged in- 'front' of the cas-s ing, wedge like clips removably secured on the front rod, and levers securedon the 7 RELNA E. MEECE.

Witnesses:

O. A. NOSTRUM, BEULAH H. Pn'rnnson.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). 0. i 

